Removable spacers for upper corners of coupleable containers



y 14, 1968 A. ABOLINS 3,383,005

REMOVABLE SPAGERS FOR UPPER CORNERS OF COUPLEABLE CONTAINERS Filed Jan. 23, 1967 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 awn/me All/0,95% ,4501 M! May 14, 1968 A. ABOLINS 3,383,005 O REMOVABLE SPACERS FOR UPPER CORNERS OF COUPLEABLE CONTAINERS 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Jan. 23, 1967 3 '26 7/? ATTGRA/EX y 4, 1968 A. ABOLINS 3,383,005

REMOVABLE SPACERS FOR UPPER CORNERS OF COUPLEABLE CONTAINERS Filed Jan. 23, 1967 1 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 Mum/701? draw/F m United States Patent 3,383,005 REMOVABLE SPACERS FOR UPPER CORNERS 0F COUPLEABLE CONTAINERS Andrew Abolins, Langhorne, Pa., assignor to Strick Corporation, Fairless Hills, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania 7 Filed Jan. 23, 1967, Ser. No. 611,072 8 Claims. (Cl. 220-23.4)

ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Spacers for containers adapted to be detachably coupled end to end employing tension couplers removably engaging the lower corner members of the containers, the spacers taking compression and being removably installable in the upper corner members of one container for engagement in the corresponding upper corner members of the next container.

Patent No. 3,004,772 discloses a vehicle in which the bodies or containers are detachably coupled end to end via their corresponding corner members, the couplers engaging the lower corner members taking tension and the members engaging the upper corner members being spacers which act to take compressive loads. A similar disclosure is set forth in copending application Ser. No. 461,393, filed June 4, 1965.

This invention relates to the aforesaid spacers. When they are aflixed in the upper corner members they protrude and therefore lengthen each container in its individual or uncoupled state. This impairs its use in cont-ainerization where the container is transferred intermodally from road to rail to ship and where, for example, such operations as loading in ships holds and stacking present space limitation problems.

. The primary object of this invention is to provide compression spacers for the coupleable containers which are removably installable with relative case from ground level in the upper corner members of the container, thus rendering the containers useful for intermodal transfer and eliminating the hazard of climbing up to the corner members for such installation.

Another object of the invention is to provide compression spacers of the character described which while readily installable by a single operator from ground level neverethless is securely retained in the upper corner mem ber of the container in its final position.

These and other objects of the invention will become more apparent as the following description proceeds in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic view of the first step in the process of installing a spacer from ground level;

FIG. 2 is a view similar to FIG. 1 of the final step in the installation process;

FIG. 3 is a view of area 3 of FIG. 1, enlarged and partly in longitudinal section;

FIG. 4 is a view of area 4 of FIG. 2 enlarged and partly in longitudinal section;

FIG. 5 is a view of the spacer per se taken from the line 55 of FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary view of the spacer per se taken from the line 6-6 of FIG. 4; and I FIG. 7 is an exploded perspective view of the spacer per se.

Specific reference is now made to the drawings in which similar reference characters are used for corresponding elements throughout.

Indicated generally at 10 is a container of the type ice shown and described in said application Ser. No. 461,393 whose construction includes corner members, generally steel castings by which the container can be lifted and transferred to a ships hold, a loading platform, a railroad car, aircraft, etc. When two such containers are detachably coupled end to end, the lower corner members of adjacent containers receive couplers which transmit tension and the upper corner members receive spacers which take compressive loads. Since the instant invention applies only to these spacers, reference will be made only to the upper corner members 12 each of which is a hollow member having an internal recess 14 that communicates with a reduced slot 16 that opens through the vertical wall of the corner member. The upper portion of the vertical wall of the corner member is shown at 18 and includes a rounded lower edge 20 which forms the top of the slot 16 and front and rear faces 22 and 24. The lower portion of the vertical wall of the corner member is shown at 26 and has an upper edge 28, a front face 30 and a shoulder 32 to the rear of the front face. a

The spacer of the instant invention is shown at 34 and prefereably a cast steel member which is adapted for removable installation from ground level in the upper corner member 12 of one container so that a portion thereof can enter through the slot 16 of the upper corner member of an adjacent container 10 to take compressive loads. The spacer consists essentially of a housing 36 and bell crank member 38 pivoted thereto.

The housing contains longitudinally spaced upstanding front and rear flanges or shoulders 40 and 42 joined by a web 44 which is generally U-shaped in cross section. The lower edge 46 of the web is rearwardly and downwardly curved so that below the rear flanges 42 the housing contains laterally spaced downward extensions 48 containing laterally extending flanges 50 whose inner surfaces form inner shoulders 52.

The front flange 40 has a front face 54 from which there extends longitudinally an arcuate nose or filler member 55. The rear flange 42 has a rear face 56 from which there extends longitudinally a curved member 58 which includes an upstanding rear end portion 60 that is spaced from the face 56 a distance somewhat longer than the thickness of the upper front wall portion 18 of the corner member thus forming a space 62 for eventually receiving the wall portion 18. The upper surface of the curved member 58 is provided with a slot 64 centrally therethrough and at its rear adjacent its upper edge, the upstanding member 60 carries a transverse rod 66 which is spaced from the member 60 as at 68.

The bell crank member 38 includes a member which is generally U-shaped in vertical cross-section and therefore includes a curved web 70 joining upstanding spaced arms 72 and 74 whose upper ends are formed with ears 76 and 78. The arms 72 and 74 are also formed adjacent the web 70 with laterally extending shoulders and 77. Rivets '80 and 82 are fixed to the inner surface of the curved member 58 and pass through apertures 84 and 85 in the cars 76 and 78 to form a transverse pivotal connection between the bell crank and the housing. At its rear the curved web 70 is formed with a flange or shoulder 86.

The front edges of the arms 74 secure between them a cross rod 87 and are also provided with front extensions 88 which in turn secure a vertically extending tubular member or pole socket member 90 which is open at its bottom as at 92 and closed at its top as at 94.

A jamming lever is provided in the form of a vertically extending bar 96 whose upper edge is formed with a hook 98 that engages the rod 66 of the housing. The lower edge of the bar has a forwardly extending jam lug 100' which extends through the slot 64 of the housing and a rearwardly extending lug 102. A tension spring 104 has one end 106 which is hooked over the lug 102 of the jamming lever 96 and its oposite end 198 over the rod 87 carried by the beil crank adjacent the pole socket 90, the body of the spring extending between the arms 72 and 74 of the bell crank. The geometric relationship between the points of attachment of the ends 106 and 1&3 of the spring 104 and the pivotal axis of the bell crank 38 through the rivets 8i and 82 is such that the spring produces a toggle action which holds the bell crank in two positions, viz: the about-to-install position where the top 94 of the socket member 90 abuts the inside surface 110 of the housing web 44, at an angle of about 45 to the normal, and the installed position where the shoulders 75 of the bell crank abut the shoulders 52 of the housing and the axis of the socket member is about to the normal.

In use, the operator inserts a pole or similar object 112 into the socket member 90 through its open end 92 and holding it at an approximate angle of to the normal, see FIG. 1, inserts the arcuate member 58 through the slot 16 of the upper corner member 12 of one container. He then exerts an upward force while moving the pole rearwardly towards the container. In so doing the lower edge 26 of the upper vertical wall portion 18 of the corner member depresses the jamming lug 100 pivoting the lever 6 about the rod 66, thereby extending the spring 104. This allows the lower ends of the extensions 48 of the housing to clear the edge 28 of the lower portion of the vertical wall 26 of the corner member. Continued movement of the pole in an arc towards the container, see FIG. 2, will cause the socket member 90 to assume a position substantially normal to the ground in which position the shoulders 75 and 77 of the bell crank abut the shoulders 52 of the housing and the flange or shoulder 86 at the bottom of the bell crank engages the shoulder 32 to the rear of the front face ot the lower wall portion 26 of the corner member to etfect the locking of the spacer in the corner member, the toggle action of the spring 104 acting to urge the bell crank into this position. Removal is effected by insertion of the pole into the socket member, pushing it upwardly to again depress the jamming lug 100 and moving the pole in an are away from the container, the toggle action of the spring again acting to urge the socket member towards its initial angular position of about 45 to the normal.

In eifect, the arcuate member 58 with its upstanding portion 60 in cooperation with the rear flange 42 forms a clevis, the spacing between the flange 42 and the portion 60 approximating the thickness of the wall portion 18. In the installed position the rear face 56 of the flange 42 of the housing abuts the vertical wall 22 of the corner member around the slot 16 and the upstanding portion 60 of the member 48 is closely adjacent the rear edge 24 of the upper vertical wall portion 18, the jamming lug 100 bearing against the lower edge 20 of the wall portion 18 to aid in holding the spacer securely in place by urging the spacer downwardly and hence the bell crank shoulder 86 against the shoulder 32 of lower wall portion 26. When another container is coupled end to end to the one in which the spacer is already installed, the nose piece enters through the slot 16 of the corresponding corner member of the other container and the front face 54 thereof abuts the front face 22 of the corner member around its slot 16 to space the containers at their upper ends and transmit compressive loads therebetween.

While preferred embodiments of the invention have been here shown and described, it will be understood that skilled artisans may make minor variations without departing from the spirit of the invention and the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a container having a corner member including a vertical wall with a slot therethrough and a recess therebehind, a spacer for removable mounting on said corner member comprised of a housing including a top opening clevis at one end thereof approximating the thickness of the upper portion of said Wall which forms the upper edge of said slot, said clevis being rockable around and adapted to embrace said upper portion of said wall in the installed position of the spacer, a bell crank pivoted to said housing including a lower edge adapted in the installed position to extend through said slot and engage the lower portion of said wall forming the lower edge of said slot to lock the spacer in place, and a socket member carried by said bell crank and adapted to have one end of a pole inserted therein.

2. The combination of claim 1, stop means limiting said bell cranke to an about-to-install position wherein the axis of said socket member is at an angle to the vertical and further stop means limiting said bell crank lo the installed position in which the axis of said socket is at a lesser angle to the vertical.

3. The combination of claim 2 and a spring terminally connected between said bell crank and said housing acting to produce a toggle action urging said bell crank positively into said about-to-install and installed positions.

4. The combination of claim 1 and means urging said spacer downwardly and said lower edge of said bell crank behind said lower portion of said wall in the locked position.

5. The combination of claim 4 wherein said means includes a slot in said clevis, a jamming lug extending therethrough, a lever mounted on said clevis securing said lug, and spring means acting on said lever to urge said lug upwardly into engagement with said upper portion of said wall.

6. The combination of claim 1 wherein said clevis includes an upstanding flange adapted to abut the outer face of said wall about said slot and an upstanding member spaced from said flange and adapted to lie closely adjacent the inner face of said wall in the installed position of the spacer.

7. The combination of claim 6 and means urging said spacer downwardly and said lower edge of said bell crank behind said lower portion of said wall in the locked position, said means including a slot in said clevis, a jamming lug extending therethrough, a lever mounted on said upstanding member of said clevis and spring means acting on said lever urging said lug upwardly into engagement with said upper wall portion.

8. The combination of claim 7 wherein said bell crank is movable between an about-to-install position in which said socket member is at an angle to the vertical and an installed position in which said socket member is at a lesser angle to the vertical, said spring means being terminally secured to said lever and to said bell crank and producing a toggle effect urging said bell crank selectively into said about-to-install and installed positions.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,162,320 12/1964 Hitch 220--23.4 3,163,306 12/1964 Bennett 2201.5 X 3,317,219 5/1967 Hindin 280-415 THERON E. CONDON, Primary Examiner.

G. E. LOWRANCE, Assistant Examiner. 

